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Dr. R. Scott Colglazier
Senior Minister

The Rev. Dr. R. Scott Colglazier is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). A native of Indiana, Dr. Colglazier has served a number of churches throughout his career, most notably `University Christian Church in Fort Worth, Texas, the second largest congregation of his denomination. During his nearly decade long tenure as Senior Minister, Dr. Colglazier led the church through a period of outstanding membership growth, expanded programming and financial stewardship. While there he provided strategic planning leadership for a multi-million dollar renovation and building project. Most recently, Dr. Colglazier served the famed Riverside Church in New York City where he served as Interim Chief Program Minister and Head of Staff.

He is the author of several books, including his most recent work “The Winter Name for God.” His work as a religious leader has been featured on CNN, The Today Show, and The CBS Morning Show, as well as in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The New York Times. He is married to Marti (Sweeney) Colglazier who is a public school administrator. They have three children, Matthew (27), Drew (25) and Kathryn (24).

The Rev. Dr. Richard J. Bower
Associate Minister

Dr. Bower is known to many of you, having served as Senior Minister of the Congregational Church of the Chimes in Sherman Oaks from 1978 until his retirement in 1996. He has been very active in our denomination both in the Cal-West Association, where he served as moderator, and in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. He is a past moderator of the NACCC and a past chair and member of the executive committee. He's served First Church often as Guest Preacher and has been a regular volunteer with Chuck & Mike's Cafe as well.

Dr. Bower holds a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, a master's degree in divinity from Drew University Theological School and received his doctorate in 1999. He has also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and at Oxford University. For the last 25 years, he has been listed in “Who's Who in America.”

The Rev. Dae Jung
Associate Minister & Chaplain of Pilgrim School

Rev. Jung is an ordained Presbyterian minister who has served congregations in NY for sixteen years, before joining the pastoral staff at First and chaplaincy at Pilgrim School. He served Presbyterian congregations in Rye, Hortonville, Bethel, Lake Huntington, Palisades and most recently served as an interim pastor at Scarborough NY. For many years he worked with young people in camps and conferences, a gift he brings to First Church. He also taught philosophy as an adjunct at Mercy College and biblical studies at New York Theological Seminary.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Gordon College and a master’s of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, 1992. He has also studied at Drew University Theological School, continuing his study in liberation theologies and homiletics. After many years in the east coast for school and ministry, he has returned to southern California where he grew up as a child, in Torrance. His father, also a Presbyterian minister in Los Angeles back the 70's as a doctoral student and a pastor of an immigrant congregation, returned to Korea to serve congregations that witnessed tremendous growth in membership. Rev. Jung has two boys, Joshua and Alex, who love to visit their grandparents and enjoy authentic Korean food!

The Rev. Dr. Pieter Noomen, Th.D.
Minister of Visitation

Officially on the staff of First Congregational Church of Los Angeles as Minister of Visitation for more than 25 years, the Reverend Pieter Noomen has become a fixture in the life of our Church. He does much of the footwork for the Senior Minister as it relates to church members who are hospitalized, stay in nursing homes or are home or retirement center-bound.

What brought him almost forty years ago to the USA from his native country, the Netherlands, was his academic interest in Suicide Prevention, a field with many pioneers in Los Angeles at the time.

After three Senior Minister positions in the Netherlands and Belgium, he became a practicing psychotherapist in California. In addition to being in private practice, he worked many years at our own Commonwealth Counseling Center, now located above the Pilgrim Thrift Shop across the street from the Church. It was the first Church-related Counseling Center on the West Coast.

As he is on the road most of the time, the best way to reach him is through June Flowers at First Church.

Besides flaunting his stubborn accent, he regularly participates in the Sunday service liturgy and also preaches once a while.

Dr. Jonathan Talberg
Director of Music

Dr. Jonathan Talberg serves as Director of Music for First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, Music Director and Conductor of the Los Angeles Bach Festival, Director of the Long Beach Bach Festival, and Director of Choral, Vocal, and Opera Studies at California State University, Long Beach where he oversees the largest and one of the most recognized voice programs in the state of California. He has twice conducted at regional conventions of the American Music Educator's National Conference, at several All-State choir concerts, and in prestigious venues throughout Europe and Asia, including St. Peters and St. Mark's Basilicas, The Karlskirche in Vienna, and at the Great Wall of China. Most recently, he has served as a guest conductor for the Slovenian National Chamber Choir, and as artistic director for the Incantato Festival of Music in Amalfi, Italy. He has prepared choirs for the Cincinnati Symphony, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony and the Pasadena Pops. He made his Carnegie Hall Debut in April, 2007 conducting the California State University, Long Beach Chamber Choir and the New England Philharmonic Ensemble.

Dr. Talberg is in constant demand as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator. He holds the position of Youth and Student Activities Chair for University and College Choirs for the California Chapter of the American Choral Director's Association and he is an editor at Pavane Music Publishing, where a choral series, dedicated to high quality, collegiate level music, is published under his name.

S. Wayne Foster
Organist in Residence

S. Wayne Foster is the Organist in Residence at the First Congregational Church in Los Angeles, where he presides over one of the world's largest pipe organs. As part of this prestigious position, Mr. Foster performs weekly Thursday noon recitals and helps coordinate the Annual Organ Recital Series.

Mr. Foster is a native of Florida where he studied organ as an undergraduate at Stetson University. He went on to receive his masters in the harpsichord and early music from the University of North Texas and, in organ, his Diplôme de Concertiste from the École Normale de Musique in Paris where he lived for 5 years. His many awards include the Gold Medal and Audience Prize at the 1997 Dallas International Organ Competition.

While in Paris, Mr. Foster was continuo harpsichordist and organist for the Orchestre de St. Louis-en-l'Ile and Associate Organist for the American Cathedral in Paris. In Charleston, Mr. Foster was chairman of the Piccolo Spoleto L'Organo recital series, and was Director of Music at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church and Temple Beth Elohim. He also was staff keyboardist for the Charleston Symphony. Since living in Los Angeles, Mr. Foster has produced a new DVD documentary on the fantastic pipe organ of First Congregational Church, titled “The Great Organs of First Church–Past. Present. Future.” He has performed solo recitals for the Los Angeles Bach Festival, and will perform this summer at the Washington National Cathedral and the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. He performed the wedding organ music track for the recent film “Marie-Antionette,” and more recently provided organ music for the TV show “Ugly Betty.”

Curtis Rhodes
Music Administrator

Curtis Rhodes brings a wide range of experience to his role as Music Administrator for First Church and Managing Director for the Los Angeles Bach Festival. He has actively been involved in theatre production from all sides; as an actor, music director, director, stage manager, and writer. He attended Texas Christian University as a theatre major and received classical conservatory training in theatre at the Professional Actors' Conservatory in Orange County. He has been a member of West Coast Ensemble and Open At the Top theatre companies and is currently a member of the Academy Repertory Company, part of the Academy of New Musical Theatre, where he participates in the development of new musical works. A pianist/vocalist and composer, Curtis has written the musicals A Holiday in Hollywood and Swept Away! He performs solo concerts of his original piano and vocal material. He was on the branding and marketing team for the launch of the Hallmark Channel for cable television, as well as serving as Director of Music for San Marino Congregational UCC. Curtis has sung in choirs since grade school and has been a member of the Ad Hoc Chorale and the Anglican Chorale, among others.

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